If He Be Worthy
by Ruby Red-ink
Summary: The chaos was unimaginable. Anarchy ruled through the streets of the city. But the only thought racing through my mind was 'Where is she…where's Darcy' What makes a man worthy? Bravery, loyalty, love? What makes Loki...worthy?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Another new genre for me, woo-hoo! This popped into my head one day after reading entirely too many Darcy/Loki fanfics where Loki gets to play the hero, which is nice, since in my head he only does that for a few select people, (that is a reformed 'I-don't-think-I'll-take-over-the-world-my-love-lives-on' Loki). I know I'm nowhere near the talent of some of the other great Loki/Darcy authors on here (LuvaGoodMrE, labyrinthinemelange, StarTrekFanWriter, dhauren are among my favorites…check them out if you haven't already!), but I'm trying. You'll probably notice that a lot of this is Loki-commentary, which may seem odd or irritating, but I personally find it hilarious. I offer a rather amusing commentary for movies I've seen when the notion strikes me. Also, all the humanity bashing going on in here, I figured that made sense from pre-reformed Loki's point of view. Any-who, please enjoy and I appreciate reviews, they make me all smiley and such. Oh, and clearly I own nothing, just doing this for my own insane enjoyment and that of others. (Sorry for the ferociously long author's note, please continue with the merriment)**

If He Be Worthy

The chaos was unimaginable. Anarchy ruled through the streets of the city. People were screaming, fires were burning, and everyone was running, searching for some semblance of a safe haven in what is now a valley of destruction. But despite all these things, the only thought racing through my mind was 'Where is she…where's Darcy?'

When I began the campaign against Midgard, a foolish endeavor that was doomed to fail from the beginning, I gave little thought to the meager inhabitants of this dying rock. What were they to me, a veritable god amongst their race? I looked down upon them with disdain — my future subjects, future slaves; worthless, mindless creatures all of them. Always in constant need of one of a higher and more powerful caliber to rule them, as they could achieve little else on their own. In my various covert visits to this realm, I made all these observations and found no one who could refute them and prove any different; until I saw _her._

Ironically, I was watching, invisibly of course, the human woman that had laid claim to my brother's heart and turned him into something…soft. She was called Jane. Such a plain name, even here in the realm full of plain names. As I was concluding my daily observations of the Jane woman (and a rather dull and ordinary being she proved to be, no matter how intelligent), my interest was piqued when she was visited by another female of a younger age who even in looks was far more appealing than the elder. In the few chances I'd had to observe Jane I saw this other female quite rarely, and even when she deigned to speak, it was only in reference to work, so I never gave her much thought until this very evening. It still confounds me that spending such a short time with her would alter my being so deeply and so completely. To understand, we must start here, in one of my first favorite memories of us, when I realized that she was just as devious as I was. Now, back to our scene:

"Jaaaaaaaane!" The new voice sang. "Get off your rear and quit staring at those stupid diagrams; I've got something fun planned for us."

"Darcy…" the girl's name was said with an exasperated sigh as if her mere presence gave Jane a headache. How amusing. "I have a lot work to get done and your plans are always too elaborate and usually lead to us getting arrested. Or at least almost arrested."

"Oh, come on, that was one time! And besides, I was wearing my lucky shirt, there was no way we were getting arrested while in the presence of my lucky shirt," she defended with a certain arrogance that alluded to her own self-confidence, a trait quite uncommon among Midgardian women. "Darcy, that shirt is not lucky, it's so low cut that officer 'eyes-up-here' didn't even stand a chance," Jane concluded with another sigh. This girl was just getting more and more interesting by the second. A show such as this often requires some sort of snack by way of facilitating entertainment. Ah there we are; movie theater popcorn, something these mortals got right and another reason I have to be grateful to a certain dark haired female.

And back to our regularly scheduled programming. "Yeah, well, I still say it's pretty lucky. Anyway, I was thinking we could go trip some alarms around the SHIELD compound and get Coulson's panties in a twist. He hasn't had a good panic attack since Stark threw that last party and I think he's about due." Well, well, this Darcy person could offer some hope for humanity yet, though just a sliver of it. Quite the little prankster we have here, and though perhaps not up to Asgardian standards, (we are considered gods after all), she is rather beautiful; even if she insists on wearing those strange ocular devices and unseemly weather-proof boots. We could get along quite famously I think.

"Darcy…no. We are not going to irritate my boss just because you're bored. Besides, like I said, I have too much to do." A loud, dramatic sigh escaped Darcy's lips before she conceded to Jane, while mumbling that she was a stick in the mud, before she departed on her own way. I decided that this Darcy creature was far more intriguing than Jane could ever hope to be and so decided to follow and observe her instead. I watched as she left Jane's small abode and strode up the dark empty streets of their miniscule town, presumably to her own place of residence. However, as she walked, I noticed another malevolent presence trailing close behind her, just in the shadows, no doubt some mortal male looking to do harm to a weaker being. I decided then that rescuing the poor damsel in distress could be a perfect advantage to getting to know this female, with the added bonus that she was friends with my brother's woman. Nevertheless, in the words of a particularly gifted Midgardian poet, 'The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry,' as I had never met a human quite like Darcy Lewis.

As the male assailant closed in on her, Darcy's grip on something I couldn't quite identify tightened. I materialized not far behind them, but in the few moments I took to generate the magic, Darcy pulled out a strange contraption that when brandished and the trigger pulled released a barb at the attacker that seemed to generate the very electricity that was harnessed in the storm clouds. The man convulsed when struck and was rendered unconscious; impressive, to say the least. However, in my surprise, I failed to notice that Darcy had seen me and that she also had more than one of these contraptions on her person. She then pointed it in my direction and I too surrendered to the tiny barb of lightening and its devastating effects. How humiliating.

When consciousness finally regaled me with its presence, it was only to give way to complete and utter confusion as to why I was lying in the street with a tousle-haired brunette looming over me. My memories soon returned and I sat up swiftly, narrowly missing Darcy's head. "Umm…sorry about tazing you, I thought you were cornering me with 'Mr. Creep-tastic' over there," she bobbed her head in the direction of the still unconscious body 10 feet from us. I glanced at her, sitting cross-legged beside my seated form. "Clearly not, though I suppose that's what I deserve for assuming you were a damsel in distress," I explained standing to my feet to tower over her.

She nodded exuberantly and stood to match me, though still remaining a good foot shorter than myself. "So, what's an Asgardian doing creeping down the streets of New Mexico saving would-be distressing damsels?" She asked with a haughty eyebrow raised. I looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "How did you know that I hailed from Asgard?" She sighed as if explaining herself was a chore.

Another raised eyebrow, "seriously? The way you talk isn't a big enough hint? Or how about that kickin' armor you're rocking? Definitely not Earth-garb. Fine. There's just something about you that screams you're not from here, so I took a stab at it and figured you were from Asgard. Besides, you remind me a little of Thor with that whole chivalrous bit."

I must admit, she had me pegged, but then she had to mention _his_ name, let alone amongst her description of me, that wasn't particularly pleasing. "Well, if that lovely little scowl plastered on your face is any kind of clue, then that would make me right! And taking into account the chaos that just happened about a year ago and your general aura tinged with evil, I figure that makes you Loki." The girl was frustrating in her guessing ability, but I felt that despite being the so called 'god of lies' I did not have the ability, nor the desire I came to discover, to lie to her. "Yes, you are correct, though how you have discerned any of this is beyond me. You need not introduce yourself, I've been watching you for quite some time Darcy." She apparently took some offence to this. "Huh, and here I was sorry I tazed you. Now I'm just sorry I don't have another one," she narrowed her eyes and cocked a hip, placing her hand there in an authoritatively serious gesture; it was cute. My mind finally caught up to my observations making me realize that I'd practically confessed to spying on her. Why can't I keep my mouth shut?

"What is it about you, girl that makes one quite unable to stay silent?" My tone, however, questioned her abilities and my own. She replied simply with a shrug saying "Dunno, it's a gift." And just like that, she turned and walked away; as if meeting a being from another planet was commonplace, though I suppose if one lives in a town situated near the site of a trans-planetary bridge, it would become so. I stood staring after her, watching her fade into the distance before deciding to simply follow her and unravel more of her mystery.

Upon arriving at Darcy's residence, a small apartment on the opposite side of town, she threw her things upon the couch unceremoniously before walking down the hallway, presumably to her own room. "Loki, I know you're there. If you have any sense of self-preservation, you'll stay out of my room." Infuriating woman. "You dare threaten me, mortal?" My voice lacked the frustration that would normally be present in dealing with a situation as this one. I suppose I was amused by her boldness. Her voice floated back to me in the living area, "Yeah, I dare, and I mean it! I'll be back out in a minute. Try to behave." I smirked to myself and settled into her couch, visible once again, to wait. It's quite humorous actually, a former Asgardian prince made to wait for a mortal girl. No matter how amusing her impertinence may be, she still must know her place. At least, that's what I thought, not that what I thought really had much of an effect on the actions of one Darcy Lewis.

She breezed back into the room within minutes, this time clad in clothing more suited for a human male than a female. "What exactly are you wearing?" She glanced down briefly, as if forgetting what she'd put on before looking back at me. With a shrug she threw herself onto the couch next to me. "These are my comfy clothes, what I wear when I'm just chillin' at home. You know soft stretchy pants and an oversized t-shirt. This used to be my brother's before I stole it. I think it looks better on me anyways." I chuckled at her explanation. "You Midgardian girls are so strange in your habits."

She suddenly turned her head towards me with a strange look in her eyes. "You keep saying that." My confusion evidently showed through as she continued on. "Girl. You keep referring to me as a girl. I'm a woman, dude; have been for quite a while by Earth standards. I'd appreciate it if you'd acknowledge it every now and then." Again, in the few short hours that I'd known her, she surprised me. Most wouldn't have taken notice to my insistence on referring to her as a girl rather than a woman. "By my own standards, you are still yet a child; hardly into your adulthood at, what, 24 years of age?" I took her silence as an affirmation. "While I am well beyond several hundred years myself, your two decades hardly holds a candle to my own." She didn't seem particularly shocked at my age; she seemed to almost expect that. With a chuckle she said "man, you _are_ old."

Her expression became pensive before she cracked a smile and shook her head slightly at a seemingly amusing thought. "Care to share with the class, Darcy?" With a still amused look, she turned to me with searching eyes. She apparently found what she was looking for because she began to speak, this time in a voice far softer than any she'd yet been using. "I guess if you think this is too weird, you can just poof out of here and never have to see me again, so really, there's nothing to lose here. I think you're gorgeous, plain and simple. I was thinking that if we ever dated, some people might find it kind-of perverted because you're hundreds of years old and I'm only 24."

It took me some time to process through some of the vocabulary she was using, but with my superior intellect, adapting to a culture of any time period is a simple thing. Once I had it translated, however, I balked at what she was insinuating. "You consider the idea of us dating and the only concern you think people would have would be the age difference? You don't think they'll wonder why such a nice, beautiful woman would be together with a so-called 'super villain?" Never mind the fact that I was not appalled by the mere thought of creating a relationship with her; despite being human, I found her appealing. She paused for a moment in thought. "You said I was beautiful. And you called me a woman," she said with a self-satisfied smile stretching across her face, with just a hint of a blush in her cheeks. I pleased her with my praise and for some unknown reason it pleased me as well. My constant need to be distant and bitter was waning less and less the more time I spent with Darcy. It had only been but a few hours at the least and I felt as comfortable around her as I once had around Thor. The difference being that I truly had nothing to prove to her, she expected nothing from me and seemed to find enjoyment in simply talking with me, her curiosity easily sated when I answered every question she put forth, with surprising honesty I might add, which was new for me.

She turned the television on (at least that's what she told me the device was called) and changed it to what she called 'the Food Network,' declaring it her favorite channel. We spent what was left of the evening watching different food related programs and talking, sometimes about the programs and sometimes about issues in the world in general. I soon discovered that she had an interest in politics (she says she is a 'political science major,' whatever that is). Her opinions on particular political situations in other countries, as well as her own, were quite insightful, and rather strong to say the least. She is not one to hide what she thinks or feels, as was evident from the first few minutes I knew her. I was quickly becoming quite a fan of this girl, for many reasons I found both unexpected and enjoyable.

As morning arrived, I awoke to find myself lying on Darcy's couch surprised at several things; first being that I had fallen asleep in the first place. It was quite unlike me to allow myself to fall unconscious in an unfamiliar place, especially with someone I didn't trust. But did this mean I was far more comfortable with Darcy than I first thought? My second surprise did not allow me much time to think about the first as I realized that I had not woken up alone. The source of my confusion lay sprawled half across my chest with her legs tangled with mine, sleeping quite soundly with her hand over my heart and my arms around her waist. Well, this is odd; even more so because I am not disgusted by the human lying across me but am rather comforted by her weight. It was a feeling I was unaccustomed to but welcomed nonetheless. Instead of disappearing, as I probably should have done to avoid any further attachment, I remained, choosing rather to relax and tighten my arms a bit more around the frustrating girl, woman, I couldn't get enough of.

**A/N 2: So this will be my first try at actually finishing a fic that's more than one chapter. I hesitate to say 'multi-chapter' because I honestly don't know if it's going to be longer than 2 or 3. I really don't know at this point. It would probably help my decision, however, if I got a few reviews *hint, hint*** **On a different note, it may seem that their budding relationship is developing a bit fast (probably because it is) but I have difficulties writing the small mundane moments that go on in a relationship, so let's just assume they become fond of each other rather quickly. Sorry if it seems a little unreal, but I'm not really drawing from experience here, I'm practically a perpetual bachelorette.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: My readers, you guys are amazing! I was so apprehensive about posting this story and I'm so happy to know that so many people actually like and want to read it, so thank you all so much! I haven't smiled this much in a long time. I hope I can live up to your expectations with the following chapter and the others that will follow soon. It will probably be about 5 chapters plus a possible epilogue, maybe. I'll try to post at least once a week as well. Happy reading!**

**Chapter 2 **

I awoke again several hours later to the feeling of being watched. Hailing from a planet that was always prepared for war, and being one who never quite got accustomed to sleeping without one eye open so-to-speak, it was a feeling that was easily identified. The source of this feeling even easier when I recalled the memories of the previous night and the emotions tied to them. Somehow, without any real movement on my part, the one watching me knew I had rejoined the conscious world, though it could have been the extremely close proximity as she had her chin resting on my chest gazing in my direction. "Good morning" she muttered, choosing not to disturb the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded us. "How long have you been watching me exactly?" She smirked, knowing she'd been caught. "Not long, really. But I figure fair is fair, you did say you'd been watching me yesterday." Touché. I cracked a smile at her. "Well, a genuine smile. I never thought I'd actually see one of those from you. It's nice. You should smile more often." "You do wonders for my ego, you know that?" She gave a surprisingly girlish giggle at that and said "I aim to please."

She shifted her position slightly so that her head was back lying against my chest with her ear near my heart. From my vantage point I could not see her face, but I could feel a distinct smile forming across her cheeks. "What has you smiling so?" She hummed softly and answered "I like listening to your heartbeat. It's soothing."

So I put that ridiculously sweet smile on her face, another pleasant feeling came over me at this knowledge. Now I see what exactly turned Thor around so much; these Midgardian women seemed to have quite an effect over us otherworldly creatures. I smiled, amused, and we laid there for quite some time just basking in the stillness of the morning. It couldn't have been past 7:00 am at the latest. The first vestiges of sunlight were just streaming through the window in her living room, the only source of light I had to study her by. I had already committed the contours of her face to memory, something to mull over when I was alone once more, but now I could reflect on the rest of her. Her hair, the closest feature to me, was in itself a testament to her very nature. Though full and beautiful, it was somewhat untamable, albeit delightfully so. She was quite short, even for a human, but it suited her. She did not have an athletic build, rather to the contrary, she felt quite soft in my arms; and while she was in no way large, she was not skinny either. She wore her curves well, in a way I'd never seen on women in Asgard, whom I am starting to think were all carbon copies of one another. Except for Sif, she was Asgardian military issued.

I thought Darcy had drifted back to sleep until I felt her drawing non-descript patterns across the planes of my chest. I was only now realizing that I had removed my armor sometime last night, apparently to make ourselves more comfortable. Now I'm turning soft. "What are you drawing?" I asked quietly, with simple interest. "Hmm? Oh, nothing I guess. I was just doodling absentmindedly. Does it bother you? I can stop," she replied, leaving her hand still. "Actually, I found it quite pleasing. You may continue if you like," I acquiesced as I closed my eyes once again to further relax. Still lying with her cheek pressed to my chest, I felt another one of her smiles emerge. "I've got a better idea. I'll draw, and you try to guess what it is. And no magical cheating! I'm sure you have your ways," she turned her head up towards me just as I looked to her, her eyes were narrowed in mock suspicion. Amused by her idea, I allowed it and agreed to the terms, then closed my eyes once again in preparation for our game.

Her first drawing was quite simple, a test I'm sure. "A heart. Really dear, you must attempt to challenge me." She laughed and I'm almost positive her eyes rolled as well, though I couldn't be quite sure. "Okay, try this one." This one was a bit harder, but still I was able to guess what the 10 lines every two converging at a point was after a few minutes, "star." "Ooo, you are good. Hmm, I'll have to think of something much harder," she mused, tapping her finger against my chest in thought. The next one took significantly more time than the first two, but I attribute that to Darcy's rudimentary drawing skills rather than my doodle-deciphering abilities. "Is that supposed to be a lightning bolt?" Laughing, she replied "yeah, but I suck at drawing anything more complicated than that. I was really hoping I could stretch this game on a bit longer. It's kinda fun." I opened my mouth to suggest that I might take a few turns while drawing on her back and have her guess when an infernal ringing echoed through the room. Darcy groaned as she sat up and dug through the pockets of the jacket she had so carelessly tossed onto the back of the couch the previous night. She produced her cellular communication device and answered in a voice that sounded much more tired than she really was.

"Hullo? Yes Jane, I was doing what most sane people do early on a Saturday morning. Ugh, do you really, _really_ need me? Fine, I'll be there in an hour, but don't expect me to be any kind of happy about it. And Coulson better have gotten my Starbucks. I don't care if he is your boss; I'm trying to train him. If he wants me to be compliant, he's going to have to provide coffee. Yeah, yeah, I'll try to leave him alone today. See ya in a bit. Bye."

After she finished her conversation, she turned to me with an utterly adorable defeated look. "I have to go in to work," she pouted. "I gathered that." She moaned again and fell back against my chest, in the same position she had earlier vacated. "I'm entirely too comfortable to go to work, this is criminal." I laughed at her choice of words. "Actually, I'd say sharing a couch with a dastardly villain would be considered criminal, but to each his own I suppose. Would you like me to hold you hostage so you can call in kidnapped?" Thankfully, I got her to laugh, I dislike seeing her sad. "As fun as that sounds, Coulson really doesn't need an employee turning up MIA today. They don't call me in on the weekends unless the work load is unbelievable. It would probably give him a stroke. The man seems all cool and collected, but I'm telling you, he keeps it all bottled up inside and that can't possibly be good for his health." She was unaware how true those very words rang for me. How her few simple words made me reconsider my domination plans and tell her all my worries and woes instead. Such a remarkable woman and yet she has no idea how much she affects me.

She sighed heavily before getting up to ready herself for the day. I crossed my arms behind my head, since being left without their occupant had left them oddly chilled and waited to see what clothing choice my human made for today. My human, huh; I wonder when that endearment developed. She returned half an hour later having showered and dried her hair, but what caught me was the outfit she was wearing. I still think she did it on purpose. It was a black skirt, fitted down to just above her knees and a satin emerald green blouse tucked into the top, with some sort of lace undershirt peeking out of the top in the same emerald color. Once I got past the clothing, I saw her mass of hair had been somewhat tamed by being tied halfway back in some kind of clip; the ocular devices had also disappeared. If I hadn't watched her go into that room myself, I would question whether or not this was the same woman that now left it. As she sat in the chair placed perpendicular to the couch to put on some ridiculously high heeled shoes, I was unable to refrain from leaving my mouth agape. She finished with her shoes and then looked in my direction. "What?" She asked with innocent eyes, too innocent.

I closed my mouth just in time to reopen it and say "You…you look lovely, Darcy. Why do you not dress this way more often?" Though I regretted the words as soon as I spoke them, for many reasons (too many males chasing after her, she looks lovely all the time, not just when she wears that, too many males chasing after her…it necessitated repeating), I still could not completely cease the appreciative gaze that lingered across her form. I heard her snicker before answering me. "Actually, this is somewhat typical to what I wear for work, SHIELD's orders to actually wear business attire, unless you're a ninja agent, and then you get cool spandex and leather jumpsuits. But hey, I'm not exactly complaining, they provided the budget for it and I look awesome in this stuff, as I assume you just figured out," she finished with a glance and a smirk in my direction. Little minx.

"So, what are your plans for today, since I'll be trapped under the crazy all-seeing gaze of Agent Coulson and running errands for the entirety of SHIELD?" Well, I was going to continue with my observations of several key members of SHIELD but I decided to follow you around instead as you're much more interesting and much more pleasing on the eyes. "Oh, I'll find some way to amuse myself. I am not called the god of mischief for nothing you know," I raised my eyebrow suggestively, positive that she would understand…she did. She rolled her eyes and simply said "well, just don't hurt yourself…and try not to hurt anyone else either; I'd like to avoid the truck load of paper work that comes with an international crisis."

She still looked quite morose as she grabbed her bag and coat so I decided, in an entirely valiant effort, to cheer her up. "Since you will be rather devoid of any decent intellectual interaction during the course of your work, would it perhaps make you a bit happier if we were to spend some time together once you return home?" I tried to ask with an air of nonchalance, but true to her character she saw right through it and understood that I too would be much happier if I could spend time with her later. "Yeah, I'd like that. It will be the light at the end of my corporate tunnel." She smiled at the very idea and its warmth radiated straight through me. In no time, this human woman melted my icy Jotunn heart. "Excellent, then I shall see you upon your return to your dwelling." And with that I disappeared from her sight but not from her presence, though she need not know that. I don't believe it occurred to her that I wouldn't know what time she left her job, as they had neglected to inform her as well. I suppose I'll just have to follow her the entire day.

Poor, poor Darcy, she is entirely too underpaid for the tasks that have been demanded of her as they are either demeaning to someone of her superior worth or monotonously mind numbing. Darcy boasts an above average level of intellect compared to many of the humans on this planet, but she is hardly rewarded for that accomplishment. I suspect the only reason she still remains with the job is for her love of the Jane woman. I doubt very highly that she really loves retrieving things for other people, running mindless errands and wading through an ocean of paper. But, she does her job with the grace and dignity quite unheard of from someone in such a position. She smiles constantly at everyone, always makes sure that everyone has eaten, and even cracks the odd joke once in a while to break up the solemn atmosphere that often falls on the sullen scientists in her department. She is quite fortunate however, to be working directly under the Jane woman, as at the very least she makes sure Darcy is not entirely abused by her position. She also has a tendency to overlook when Darcy disappears for a short time. Due to my unique interest in Darcy, I deemed it necessary to follow her on these disappearances as well. The imagined notion of privacy works nearly as well as actual privacy. In other words, what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

What followed wasn't quite the surprise I thought it might be, but was no less unexpected. She walked briskly to the on-floor open exercise area where she further ventured to a more secluded spot. In the far corner rested a simple red and white bulls-eye target. Darcy removed her shoes and stowed them near a pile of mats underneath which she pulled a small canvas rolled up tool belt. She laid this on the table that rested against the wall and unrolled it, unveiling several small daggers sharpened quite deftly. I settled in to see exactly what she planned to do. She removed three daggers from the belt and held two in her left hand. The other she took at the tip in her right, centered herself at a fair distance from the target and threw. The small blade struck the bulls-eye; not quite in the center, but close enough to be considered remarkable, especially for someone as unassuming as Darcy. The things this woman does. She threw every blade in the belt, all in varying locations on or very near the center and then removed them from the target. She replaced them in the belt and placed it rolled back up in its hiding place before returning to her duties as if nothing strange had happened. I made it a point as to inquire about this oddity at our later engagement.

Aside from these almost regular sessions Darcy's work day mostly consisted of assisting in the paper work load from the scientists that surrounded her. When she wasn't running errands, she filed and filled out more paper at one time than I had ever seen in my life, and that is saying something. By the time they finally allowed her to leave, she looked tired and completely worn down, of course it being 7 o'clock in the evening, that makes sense. I transported myself back to her apartment building and decided to wait on her in the lobby so I could walk her to her door. The change in her face when she saw me standing near the door waiting for her was astronomical compared to the one I saw her leave SHIELD's office with. The difference was night and day. I could not and did not want to quell the warm feelings that bubbled from deep within and caused my own smile to stretch across my face. A smile that I soon discovered was loathe to leave.

"Well, this is a nice surprise. I didn't really expect to see you just yet," she said walking up to me to loop her arm through mine and walk towards the elevator. We arrived in her apartment and she once again asked me to wait while she changed. I expected the same boyish attire that I earlier saw her in but she once again surprised me. She returned with her hair pulled up, completely out of her face, wearing a somewhat tight fitting black cotton shirt, denim pants, and barefooted. "Another different ensemble for the day?" She answered me while digging through her bag in search of something. "I dubbed these my semi-comfy clothes. While they're not exactly elastic waist banded or oversized, they're not unbearable." She finally produced what she had been searching for, a small black case which held her ocular device.

"Why do you wear that? I noticed you did not wear it earlier, why do you wear it now?" She seemed at first puzzled by my question before she realized what I was referring to. "My glasses? Oh, I wear them because I have horrible eyesight; I can't really see things that are very close to me. But when I go to work, I wear contacts; it just makes it easier not to have to keep pushing my glasses up all day. Unfortunately, the contacts kinda irritate my eyes, so I take them off as soon as I can!" She must have interpreted my bewildered look because she went on to explain what exactly contact lenses were.

We both settled into the couch, I leaning against the arm and she lying at the other end with her feet across my lap. We were silent for a time before my curiosity broke through. "So, when did you decide to start practicing the art of throwing a dagger?" I asked with a hint of laughter coloring my tone. She sat bolt upright with her eyes wide. "Were you stalking me again today? Because that's pretty much the only way you could know about that." I took a moment before turning to face her with my own mischievous smirk. "I should've known. I kept feeling like someone was watching me all day, but I wrote it off as SHIELD's particular brand of paranoia rubbing off on me."

All was silent for a time before curiosity got the better of me again. "Care to explain your abnormal work activities?" She laughed before she began, "It's not really much of a story; more like…a happenstance precaution. Despite the fact that I work with the nerd-herd scientists, there is still always a chance for danger. I watched one of the agents, Natasha, working with daggers one day when I was running a quick errand for Jane and for some bizarre reason, they intrigued me. I searched the gym after hours and found where they kept some spares and decided to teach myself. Trust me, I sucked royally at first and almost gave up I don't know how many times, but I kept at it and eventually got pretty good. I figure some sort of skill with a weapon would come in handy some day. I still train with the spares I found but I bought a really nice set online that I love, and I keep a few of those in my bag with my tazers. So, I'm always armed and maybe only kind-of ready," she finished with a small chuckle.

I took the time to think for a moment before responding. "Have you ever actually used these daggers in a real life circumstance?" Her gleeful look quickly faded and her eyes, almost subconsciously, drifted down to her midriff before glancing away from me. "Darcy, you cannot lie to the god of lies…do not try." Her entire body seemed to wilt a bit then she changed position to curl against my side with her head on my shoulder and her arms wrapped around my waist.

"It's not exactly a good story you know," she started quietly. "It was when I was still learning, so I started keeping a couple of the spares in my bag, you know, just in case. I always had at least one tazer on me, so I wasn't completely defenseless…just stupid." I realized this story must be an upsetting one for her and to offer what little comfort I could, I wound my arms around her body and held her close. We were a picturesque couple, if only on the exterior. She seemed to take strength in my little comfort and continued with her tale.

_I'd been practicing with my daggers for probably a couple months at this point, like I said, still pretty early on, when Jane asked me to stay late with her to work on a project. What she really needed was someone to keep her company while she worked on her insanely boring astrophysical statistics. Anyway, Jane and I didn't leave until well after midnight, but she has a driver that takes her everywhere because she's an important scientist for SHIELD while I'm just a lowly underling. She offered me a ride, which I took only as far as her place because me being the independent female that I am I decided to walk rather than make her driver take the extra trip; I do it all the time, so why not? It's not like it's all that far._

_I got about half way home when I got the feeling that someone was following me. Usually my first thought is to go to my tazer, but I got bold and went for my daggers instead, I had at least two, so I figured they would keep whoever it was busy. I tried to gauge how far away he was, because I could faintly hear his footsteps, he was close enough for that. I gauged it wrong. I turned quickly and threw my first dagger and it grazed his arm, just hurt him enough to make him mad. I started to panic by the time I had a grip on my second one and hesitated too much. He had already picked up the one I threw and was barreling towards me. I threw it in a blind toss and actually managed to hit him in the chest, but he was so big that it barely slowed him down and he stabbed me right in the stomach. Luckily for me, the daggers weren't very long and this guy had terrible aim. He missed anything major._

_I was able to fumble for my tazer before he could try to stab me somewhere more efficient and actually managed to taze him and run to the hospital. I took the dagger out and stuffed it in my bag with the other one so no one would see it, but that ended up being a dumb move because then I started losing a lot of blood. The chick at the front desk saw me in time and they were able to stitch me back up before I lost too much blood. I almost needed a transfusion, but they decided against it. They kept me overnight, but I only agreed to that because otherwise they were going to call my emergency contact, which, wonder of wonders, was Jane, and I did NOT want her finding out about this. I had the weekend completely off and I called in sick that Monday, Jane assumed I had been out all weekend and she didn't question it. No one knew about this until now. Until you._

I sat dumbfounded for a few minutes. Someone had actually attacked Darcy and meant to do her harm. Furthermore, they actually succeeded! Odin-forbid I ever come across the inferior miscreant that did this, for he would pay dearly. "Loki? Please say something," she pleaded quietly. "Did they ever apprehend the _man_ (I said the word with difficulty for he did not deserve the title) that did this?" I asked tightly, though I attempted to keep my body relaxed so as to not frighten her. "You know, I don't know if they did or not. I never reported it and the hospital wasn't required to. I still have the scar from it. Call it my little reminder to never do something so stupid again."

"May I see it?" She looked at me slightly puzzled. "The scar; may I see it?" She nodded and leaned away from me to lift her shirt above her naval. There was the scar, right next to it; a white, thin horizontal line that stretched almost two inches in length. The vermin dug it in as far as he could. I laid her down on the couch with her shirt still lifted and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on the scar. She shuddered at the contact. She brought her hands to either side of my neck to lift my head so that my eyes had no choice but to meet hers. I could not stop myself from leaning forward as she leaned up towards me and our lips met in the middle.

**A/N: Oh, so sweet. As I said, next chapter should be up in about a week and I for real need the smiles that will come with an explosion of reviews! You guys rock!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I borrowed just a teensy little bit of something from "The Avengers" movie, you may or may not notice it, trust me it's small, but just in case, I'd rather not get sued for it or anything. On with the show!**

**Chapter 3**

The kiss was gentle and sweet. It held in it our very curiosity for one another as well as the delicate bloom of affection that seemed to be ever growing between us. Neither of us was quite prepared to take things any farther, so after a few joyous moments, the kiss was broken and smiles spread across both our faces.

We spent another quiet evening in her apartment, talking, laughing, and sharing light kisses. Darcy called to order food for us as neither of us had really eaten today. While we waited for the food to be delivered, Darcy put on a movie. The length of the day seemed to be getting to her as she drifted to sleep against my shoulder.

Completely unbidden, images started to come to me of a future with Darcy. Quiet nights like this one, hours talking of anything and everything. Suddenly, I realized that I no longer felt a deep seeded enmity toward those that I felt had betrayed me. The knowledge and the pain that came with it were still there, but it was rendered numb in Darcy's presence. Was it possible for me to really have a life with her? Could I bring myself to attempt to mend the broken relationships that I had once so valued? I scoffed at the idea. How ludicrous. As if the All-father and my high-and-mighty 'brother' wanted anything more to do with me. Perhaps I would cease to follow through with my plans to conquer Earth. Aside from my growing feelings for Darcy, I have come to learn from her tutelage that Midgardians have never taken quite well to an absolute ruler. No matter how powerful the ruler is, they will always fall, some more painfully than others.

My thoughts were halted as Darcy shifted in her sleep. I found myself smiling down at her; she looked at peace while she slept and in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to remain by her side in a life full of happiness and contentment. The might of Asgard could fall around me, but so long as I have Darcy, I will survive it. I allowed myself a quiet chuckle. This woman has turned me into a sentimental romantic fool and I can't seem to feel any guilt or resentment over it. Rather to the contrary, I found myself wondering if she too felt these things that I felt; if she smiled at me for no reason and experienced happiness far more often than sadness.

I mused on the possibilities of my future for a while longer until the doorbell rang signaling the arrival of Darcy's food delivery. I gently shook her awake so that she could retrieve the money to pay the deliverer while I answered the door. What I found behind it was not quite expected.

"Who are you? And what are you doing in Darcy's apartment." I could see and feel her eyes as they traveled the length of my body, taking in the otherworldly attire I had forgotten to change. I found myself unable to speak and even more so when I saw who accompanied the Jane woman in Darcy's doorway: my former brother, in the flesh.

"Loki, you're supposed to take the food from the man, not stand there gawking at…" Darcy's words came to an abrupt halt as she too saw who had come to call. "Jane…Thor! Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you and bring a surprise visitor, but I see you have one of your own. Darce, who is this guy and what is he doing here? " Jane shoved past my frozen body to stand right in front of Darcy while Thor edged his way in, never taking his eyes from me. Jane already seemed to have an idea forming behind her eyes as to who I was; after all, we Asgardians tend to dress alike and Thor has never been this quiet….ever.

"Well, you see, this is…Thor's brother…Loki, and we…umm" I could see Darcy debating the truth behind her eyes, but I did not want her to tarnish the relationship she had with this woman; boring as she may be, she was still Darcy's best friend.

"Darcy, just tell her the truth, or I shall, if you would prefer it. I'm sure I will have to explain everything once they've taken me in anyway," I tried to assure her as well as I could, but it was difficult for me to put the amount of confidence into the words to succeed. "Why don't we all just sit down and Darcy and I will try to explain, shall we?"

I drifted toward the couch and looked to Darcy in an invitation to join me. She seemed to find her resolve rather quickly as she left Jane to stand with me, her hand seeking mine for mutual strength. We sat on the couch with Jane reluctantly joining us while Thor, still silent, took a tentative seat in the adjacent arm chair.

"So, now that we're all physically comfortable, why don't we try to do something about this emotional discomfort? Where would you like us to begin?" I could feel Darcy's slight shaking in our joined hands but when I glanced to her in question, she mouthed that she was fine and nodded back to Jane, who had begun speaking.

"Why don't you start with how this actually happened? How did you two even meet anyway?"

Darcy and I regaled them with the story of our last couple days, working to not leave out any crucial detail. I even told them of my observing Darcy while at work, which I'm sure did not go over well, but I hear that honesty is the best policy. We shall see. Once we had exhausted every answer for every question that Jane put forth, she finally relaxed a bit, if only just a bit. This of course is when Thor finally decides to speak up.

"How? How is it that you survived the fall from the bifrost and furthermore why Earth?

What brought you to Earth in the first place, brother? To my knowledge, you have never had any interest in this planet, so why are you here now?" Ah, I wondered when that inquiry would appear. I find it best to perhaps hedge the latter questions for now. I paused for a moment to gather what information I deemed necessary to divulge for the present time. "As to your first question, I'm not entirely positive how I survived that fall, I did not intend to (I could feel Darcy's hand tighten around my own at my blatant declaration). Somehow, I wound up on Midgard, a little worse for wear but still for the most part in-tact. It took some time for me to regain my strength and magic, for some reason being here limits my abilities and hinders my healing time, but eventually I was able regain it and it has not yet depleted itself. As for your second question, brother (it still pains me to say it, but a great deal less than before) as much as I would like to answer that one, I'm sure that your Director Fury would like to know that very thing as well, so why don't we cease with the pleasantries and you can take me in, as I'm sure you would be ordered to do."

Darcy stood and turned to me with disbelief in her eyes and perhaps a little betrayal. I found myself mentally backpedaling to placate her. I stood and took her by the shoulders, "Darcy, they will not let us stay together if I remain a fugitive. I must explain my actions and my reasons for being here, if only to keep you from meeting any repercussions for my doings. Please, let them take me." She paused a moment, her blue eyes searching and shining with the smallest trace of tears before she sighed and leaned her forehead against my chest where I felt a barely perceptible nod. I hugged her close to me before I again turned to my…brother.

"Take me. But please allow Darcy to come as well. I will only speak with your Director in her presence and only if she be granted clemency for fraternizing with me. I want your word on that Thor," my voice held every ounce of power and command I could muster in that moment and it seemed to have the desired effect as Thor nodded to me and answered, "As you wish."

I glanced around the dull room that I had been placed in; all in all, not a horrible place to question somebody. The interrogation room at the SHIELD center of operations had vastly changed since the day it had held Thor. Instead of being unbelievably white with a couple of mirrored walls, it is now grey with a small table and chairs and only one wall with a mirror. These people are daft if they think I don't know what that is. I wonder how many agents they have standing behind it?

I closed my eyes to try to focus what extra senses I could to discover what was going on in the hallway. I projected my invisible copy to stand just outside the door as what looked like the Director, Thor, Jane and Darcy surrounded by several agents were speed walking down the corridor. Darcy seemed to be pleading with Fury over something and as they got closer I attempted to decipher it.

"Please Director, don't lock him up or put him in front of a firing squad or whatever colorful punishment you have milling around in your brain right now. He's not the guy you think he is; he's changed. You have to believe me!" I'm flabbergasted. Here was this innocent woman, pleading for my life, a plan that would likely get her fired from her job and possibly even locked up for treason, and yet she doesn't give it a second thought. It would seem that I am not the only one falling rather quickly in love. They reached the door and paused just long enough for me to draw my copy back to me and look up before they entered.

It seemed they left the army of SHIELD agents in the hall behind them but the rest all tried to cram into the small room. Fury of course sat across from me; Thor remained standing near the door. Jane took a seat in the far corner, I suspect she was here out of curiosity and because she didn't yet want to leave Thor's side. Darcy, my faithful, sweet Darcy, rather than sitting in the only other chair in the room next to the Director, chose to drag said chair around to the other side of the table and sit down beside me, firmly stating her place amongst the people in the room.

Before he had the chance to speak, I took the initiative and offered my bargain to the man. "Director Fury, as you've probably already learned, I am Loki, the one who sent the destroyer here to keep Thor from returning to Asgard. But there is a great deal more that you are not aware of, such as my purpose for currently being here and for willingly turning myself in. I am prepared to extend that information in exchange for Darcy's complete innocence in the situation and that she be allowed to remain at SHIELD at her job for however long she may like. For that, I will answer any questions that you have honestly and to the best of my ability, I swear it."

Fury looked to Thor for some kind of affirmation of what I had told him. "Should I believe that he's gonna tell me the truth on this?" Thor looked directly into my eyes for a few seconds before answering. "He will be truthful, I can guarantee it. I have never seen such honesty in his eyes, and he feels quite strongly in regards to Darcy's wellbeing. I see no reason for you not to listen and trust what he says." My brother has surprised me. Being on this planet amongst its meager inhabitants has somehow changed us both. Thor is far more intuitive and thoughtful in making his decisions. No longer do I see the brash boy that so wanted his father's throne, now before me do I see a man ready to be king. Perhaps there is a chance for us after all.

"Alright. Talk and I'll listen. And because both Thor and Miss Foster have vouched for Miss Lewis, her job will remain secure and it's not likely that she'll suffer any consequences from her actions. Satisfied?" I nodded, pleased with the way things were going so far, and began my tale.

"Assuming that Thor has informed you of my actual coming to Midgard not so long ago by way of an unfortunate fall from the bifrost, I shall skip that part and begin with what I first had planned. Once I fully regained my strength and ability, I started plotting as to what I would do to get revenge on those that I felt had wronged me, had betrayed me most of all — my so called family. What I contrived was to first observe the woman that had so infatuated my brother and to also observe the agency she worked for, as they seemed to be my biggest obstacles. I wanted to rule Midgard; to take the throne that I had been robbed of and rule over people I knew could not defy me. Midgardians were weak compared to me, so what had I to fear? After some lengthy observations, I was going to travel to any distant planet I could find that felt any anger toward Asgard so that I could build an army and more easily over take this planet, however, my plans were no-where near completion when they were suddenly…derailed. In case you are wondering, I have not contacted anyone outside of this realm. None of these plans have really seen the light of day and I no longer intend to follow through with them" I finished with the basics of my plan, because really, that's all that mattered at this junction. Nothing was made to fruition and anything else would be a moot point anyway.

Fury sat back in his chair, having listened, as he'd promised, to every word I said. Everyone else was silent, even Darcy was quiet by my side, though surprisingly strong and stable. Fury finally broke through the stifling deafness that threatened to consume us. "Why exactly have you decided to abandon your plans for world domination?" He asked as calmly as if he were asking about the weather. I looked to his eyes and smiled one of my rare genuine smiles that Darcy seemed to be so fond of. "That's an easy one, Director. Love. Love makes one do insane things, though I suppose in this case it makes one do sane things. I have found myself grounded and in love and can no longer find it in me to do what I had once set out to do. Darcy is a big part of what I have been missing in my life and I find that with her, there are very few things that I really need."

I heard a quiet squeak from beside me and looked to see tears slowly cascading down Darcy's cheeks. Before I could even speak, she threw herself into my arms and I barely deciphered her saying "I love you too." I felt as if a weight had been lifted from me at hearing those words. I was loved, I was needed, and there was nothing expected of me except that I return that love. I hugged her as tightly to me as I could for the little time we had before Fury loudly cleared his throat to regain our attention.

I looked up to see that Jane was quietly sniffling in the corner, a watery smile spreading across her face. Thor appeared shocked beyond belief and Fury just seemed exhausted. The poor man works too hard. "Loki, you've given me a lot to think about and a great deal to consider in regards to what I should do with you. I'm gonna need a little time to take care of this. In the meantime, I am leaving you in the custody of these three, who can accompany you just about anywhere in the facility. Thank you for being willing to tell us everything. I'll have you back here tomorrow with my decisions," and with that, the man with the eye patch left us to our own devices.

Rather than lapse into yet another uncomfortable silence, I once again took the initiative to break it. "Thor, if I may, I would like a word with you alone. We can rejoin the ladies in a moment and do whatever you please, but I would first like a few minutes of your time." He looked stunned for a moment at having been directly addressed by me but agreed to it. Jane was the first to leave, giving Thor a questioning look as she left the room. Darcy too gave me the same look, something these women unfortunately shared, before she kissed my cheek and left to join her friend. Once alone, Thor took the seat in front of me and waited for me to begin.

Looking directly into his eyes, I said the words that I always thought would pain me the most to utter, "I'm sorry, Thor. I'm sorry for everything that I've done. I acted out of grief and impassioned hate and the atrocities I committed were grievously unnecessary and frankly quite stupid." However, rather than the shock that I expected from him, Thor in turn sighed quite deeply and replied "No brother, it is I who should be sorry. Father told me everything, of how he found you after the battle on Jotunheim — everything. I never took the time to truly understand you or even hear you over what I thought was my own superiority. I will do everything in my power to attempt to regain your favor, for I fear the situation is too far gone to hope for your trust and forgiveness."

It was my turn to be speechless. Never before had I heard Thor speak with such sincerity and selflessness. This was no longer the brother I envied; this is the brother that I could find to love and trust once more. "Thor, I will not lie to you, it will take some time for me to be able to fully trust you and for us to become the brothers that we always should have been, but I am willing to try if you are. I have my own sins that I must atone for, you are not alone in seeking forgiveness; nor are you alone in being able to grant it. In a tentative first step in the right direction, I shall work to forgive you Thor for your past acts, so long as you work to do the same for me." In typical Thor fashion, he practically leapt from his seat and came around to my side of the table and lifted me in a near bone crushing hug that I somewhat awkwardly returned. Baby steps. Despite Thor's journey towards change, it is nice to know that some things will always remain the same.

After our exchange, I took some time for a little inner reflection. I found that I no longer harbored any ill feelings towards Thor and could almost call him my brother without grimacing. If only it were possible to be able to live out my life here on Midgard without any regards to my former home or Odin All-father, than I would be content. I had the growing forgiveness of my brother and a woman whom I loved, and who fortunately returned those feelings, I could want for nothing else. Thor and I both smiled as we left the interrogation room to join the women that had so ensnared us and to hopefully work towards making some much happier memories.

**A/N: So, I think this will be about 5 or 6 chapters, with maybe an epilogue if I can swing it. Hope you guys are still enjoying the story, because I'm definitely enjoying writing it. So, leave a review if you like it or leave one if you don't and tell me why, either way, reviews make me smile. I love it when they fill up my inbox. Until the next chapter, folks, toodles!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know, I know. I am so behind on posting this. I cannot even describe how sorry I am about that. Despite how often used this excuse is, life just kind-of got in the way. I've had so much going on personally that I have just been too exhausted or uninspired to write, which is a total bummer, because writing always makes me feel better. Anyway, I hope this chapter meets expectations and I hope you all enjoy! Thanks for sticking with me!**

**Chapter 4**

It has come to my attention that of the countless times that I have fallen asleep in my life, I have never slept quite so soundly or peacefully as when I fall asleep with Darcy in my arms. It was a rare occurrence, becoming far less so the more time I spent on Midgard, for me to wake up with a smile on my face. As I slowly opened my eyes to glance down at the sleeping human in my arms and then around the room to Thor and Jane asleep not far from us, I felt another one of those smiles grace my face. No matter what decision Fury made today, I could be happy in this moment and remember it for as long as I had the capacity to do so.

I can't even recall a time where I felt so little animosity towards my brother. It is also a true testament to my complete change in demeanor that I'm not even irritated by the presence of the Jane woman, rather I find myself pleased that my brother was able to come across someone like her. And we can all thank Odin that Thor isn't interested in Sif; Jane's very opposite. Where Jane is gentle and meek Sif is obnoxious and abrasive. Cool-headed Jane is a much more logical choice for my sometimes hot-headed brother. See? I've grown.

It's no wonder that everyone is still asleep even if it is rather late in the morning as we stayed awake quite late last night. It was nearing 2 a.m. by the time Thor and I rejoined Darcy and Jane in the hall and made our way to an open room with several places for seating. We found a long 'L' shaped couch and rested for a time while we discussed many lighter topics that kept our minds at ease and allowed each of us to drift off peacefully. Owing to the inherent draftiness of government buildings, I saw fit to conjure a blanket for Darcy and myself, and after some consideration, for Thor and Jane as well. One must be courteous.

I have no idea when Fury is to send for me, but I find myself virtually uncaring, so long as I can keep the relationships I have built. Despite Fury's obviously long career as a spy of sorts, I believe him to be a man of his word; he will not allow Darcy to come to any harm due to her association with me. However, that won't stop him from punishing me doubly for it. There's no argument that I don't deserve whatever consequence he devises, but to what extent is the question. Perhaps it will occur to him that I can be of some use. I am an all powerful sorcerer after all. Though I do not think I could join their merry band of heroes, perhaps I could offer some assistance to them from time to time. Good publicity to prove to the world that I'm not out to destroy it (anymore). However, I dismissed the thought rather quickly. I doubted very seriously that they would even consider allowing me the use of my powers for any reason, even if it was in their favor.

Darcy started stirring, slowly working her way back to consciousness. Her sleepy eyes sought me out the moment they were open. "Good morning," she yawned as she stretched like a cat before returning herself to my embrace. "Actually, darling, I believe it's 'good afternoon.' It must be well past noon at this point. We slept for quite a while. I'm actually surprised Director Fury has not sent for me as of yet."

Darcy sighed contentedly. "I don't know why, but I get the feeling that he's probably not going to be too harsh with you. To be honest, I think the guy actually likes you, which is like…new for him. I don't think he really likes anybody. Coulson's a possibility, but really, how can you not like someone who follows your every command? It's a daily power trip for him. 'What can I make Coulson do today?'" She finished with a light chuckle. I love her musings. They have the tendency to hold a grain of truth to them.

"You know, I get that same feeling, I can't bring myself to be overly concerned about his decision, though Odin knows I should be. The man practically holds my fate in his hands, but I can't seem to care." She laughed loudly enough to make Thor fidget in his sleep before returning to a snore. "Yeah right; like anyone but you would have control over your fate. You're Loki! You've basically got that whole 'I do what I want' thing down pat. No one can make you do something that you don't want to." Without realizing it, she had located my very point.

"That's just it, love. I plan to do whatever it is Fury asks of me because it is my choice to do so. I am attempting redemption and to be successful, I must humbly and gratefully accept what consequences I am given. I must prove myself worthy, both of his trust…and of you." She smiled sweetly at my declaration and stretched up for a quick kiss before settling back down. I could practically hear the wheels turning in her mind, lurching forward in their attempt to glean information. "Would you like to know what transpired between Thor and me after you left last night?" I heard the smile in her voice as she answered, "you know me so well, please, do tell."

"There's not much to divulge, honestly. Thor and I made amends to each other for our past misdeeds and made mutual vows to both try harder to build a friendship and eventual brotherhood perhaps in the future." I spoke somewhat nonchalantly, trying hard not to convey the amount of relief I felt at being allies with my brother once more. "Well I'm glad. It didn't seem right, you two at odds with each other. Adoptive brother or not, I know Thor loves you. I once heard something that I think really applies to your little situation. It's not common blood that makes a family, rather common love," my Darcy, so insightful for one so young.

"So, what you're telling me is that 'home is where the heart is?'" She laughed lightly before nodding. "Well, Darcy my dear, I must tell you that my home is here, because you are here, and you are very much my heart. Where ever you go, I shall go also. Fury can do to me whatever he likes, so long as I am able to return to you. Our separation is the one thing that I shall never permit." She seemed pleased at that as she hugged me just a bit tighter and sighed contentedly. "I must say that I do agree with you. It felt strange to be the enemy of my brother. Despite our many…issues, there was hardly a moment in our childhood that we were not together, causing mischief and mayhem wherever we went. We were quite the dynamic duo. Aging is a cruel gift; while you gain knowledge and insight that you lacked while you were young, you also gain an unfortunate understanding of how the world around you functions and all the misgivings that go along with it. My blind love and adoration for my father and brother were cast away with the innocence of my childhood, never to be seen again."

We were quiet for some time, I suspect Darcy was busy contemplating all that I had told her. It came to my attention that I had never fully shared all my thoughts on my past with anyone, let alone Darcy. It felt good to be able to have someone to listen to me for once, simply because they wanted to know me better and not because I was a Prince of Asgard.

Our moment of blissful peace was unfortunately interrupted by the presence of my harbinger of doom: SHIELD Agent Romanoff. In her usual toneless voice, she said "Loki, director Fury will see you now. The others may come if they wish." And with that, she turned back to the doorway she had come from to wait for us to slowly and sleepily follow her. Darcy moved to wake Thor and Jane but I stopped her by touching her arm, "Perhaps I should be the one to awaken my brother. He has never taken well to someone other than himself waking him up. He's much like a surly teenager in the early waking hours." She laughed and stepped back, allowing me to walk in front of her to my snoozing brother and his woman. Logic told me that I should first, as quietly as possible, attempt to wake up Jane, as she was less likely to lash out in violence. I touched her arm lightly and said her name lowly, not quite a whisper. As I suspected, she was a rather light sleeper and awoke almost immediately. Her sleep-fogged eyes turned to me, confused at first before comprehension set in and she sat up, easily extricating herself from Thor's encompassing grasp.

"Time to go, I guess?" Jane asked, stretching in much the similar way that Darcy had not long before. These women have spent far too much time together. She then went to stand by Darcy, seemingly understanding my point in waking her before Thor. I took a deep breath for steadiness and moved toward my slumbering giant of a brother. It would take much more than a gentle shake to rouse him. I shoved his arm rather forcefully and called his name in a somewhat loud voice. He stirred but to no avail. I tried again, this time shoving harder and raising my voice. Still nothing. I glanced back at Darcy with a raised eyebrow; she simply shrugged, as if she understood exactly what I was thinking. I summoned a glass and proceeded to fill it with water from the sink that stood on the other side of the room. Seeing what I was doing, Jane stifled a giggle while Darcy put a laugh into her smile. Rather than risk getting myself wet, or bruised, in the oncoming Thor panic, I levitated the glass from where I stood just in front of Darcy and Jane to dump it directly on Thor's face. Fortunately, with my newfound Frost Giant abilities, I was able to chill the glass a bit before dumping it, making the prank that much better.

Thor jumped to his feet, arms flailing and sputtering before he turned to the three of us and glared. Jane and Darcy could no longer contain themselves at the sight of Thor appearing as a drowned hippie rat, to which I gave my best attempted grin of innocence. I do believe I even heard a slight chuckle from the somber Agent Romanoff, but one can never be too sure. I, very thoughtfully, conjured a towel for my brother and led Darcy to stand with Agent Romanoff. Thor and Jane followed, Thor attempting to mop himself up and Jane stifling a laugh the whole time. Once gathered, the agent led us away from the room back towards the interrogation rooms we had inhabited the night before; however, instead of stopping in that corridor, we walked on past to the end of the hall and stopped in front of a metal sliding door with a handprint and retinal scanner. Agent Romanoff granted us access and then left to attend to other duties without so much as a word. She's always so cheerful.

Upon entering the room, we were greeted with the sight of Director Fury seated behind a black desk. The walls around him were bare, save for the two tall black bookshelves housing countless books and weapons manuals and no windows to speak of. Darcy, of course, voiced what I was thinking, "Gee, what a colorful office. Better hold back on those cheery colors, Nick, lest people start to think that you have a personality." I chuckled, but no one else seemed to find any humor in the situation. Jane appeared somewhat nervous and Thor was still put out about waking up soaking wet. Fury was just…Fury. (Is that an emotion?)

"That will be quite enough Ms. Lewis." Darcy sobered up quickly and adopted an air of innocence that clearly did not belong to her. His eye shifted back to me, excluding all others in the room from his attention. "Loki, I have thought and thought about what the appropriate action would be in regards to our little…situation here. I'll have you know that I did not come to this decision lightly and unfortunately I still may come to regret it, though I'm hoping I won't have to," at this veiled suggestion, he looked in my eyes even more pointedly, if that was even possible. I nodded, as he seemed to be waiting for some cue to continue.

He leaned back slightly in his chair and steepled his fingers, making a show of his superiority. "There really is no point in locking you up, as that would probably end up doing more harm than good," he looked to Darcy briefly as if he had foreseen that she would not leave me imprisoned for long. She stood up just a bit straighter as if in agreement. Fury continued: "In light of your supposed change of heart, I have decided to execute your punishment rather leniently, in my opinion. Firstly, you will be fitted with a GPS tracker that is designed to be relatively inconspicuous, it's not an ankle monitor or anything, and besides, it has a much farther range. Secondly, at all times, you will be in the presence of another human being. When you are not in the company of one of these three here, you will have a SHIELD appointed babysitter." I grimaced at the thought. I'll stick with Darcy thank you very much. "Lastly, and this is the part that I think you may not be too keen on, your magic is going to be limited while you're here unless I, Agent Coulson, or Ms. Foster allow otherwise." That took a moment to sink in. "What exactly do you mean 'limited'? Limited how?" I asked through somewhat clenched teeth; it is sometimes a challenge to reign in my anger, especially when others put forth ludicrous ideas.

"It's not as bad as you think. It took us quite a bit of analysis and research to figure out what frequency your magic actually worked on. The trouble was that different aspects of your magic function at different frequencies, so we developed something to target only certain frequencies. You will no longer be able to teleport, make yourself invisible, or create multiple copies of yourself." I looked at him incredulously for a long moment. It was one thing to assign me a babysitter, but quite another to bind my magic. However, before my anger could get the best of me, I felt Darcy's hand squeeze my own, causing me to look down into her sapphire eyes. In them I saw concern and love, but surprisingly no pleading for me to agree to this. I suddenly realized that no matter what happened here, she would follow me and stand by me. It was those eyes that had me turning back to the one-eyed man with confidence and serenity. "Director Fury, despite my hesitation to what you have decided, I find that I am in agreement to your punishment, so long as you uphold the rest of our deal."

"I am a man of my word, what has been promised will of course be kept. I do have one question, however, before you leave, or rather a suggestion. Should I ever have need of your specific…gifts, would you perhaps consider lending SHIELD your aid?" That…took me by surprise. I had considered the idea before, but now that it has been verbally presented to me, I found myself in hesitation. Could I put aside all selfish desires and work for the good of others? It was not a decision to be made lightly by any means. "I will think on it, Director Fury; that is the most honest answer I can grant you at this juncture. Will that be all then?" I was most anxious to leave, to finally have a chance to spend time with Darcy alone once more. And perhaps to teach her a thing or two in her knife throwing. She should of course learn from the best.

"Actually, there's one last thing. Thor, what is Asgard's input on the punishment of a prince?" Thor looked startled at having been addressed, as his attention had been entirely consumed by the conversation going on in front of him. "To be truthful, no one save perhaps my father or Heimdall knows that Loki survived his fall from the bifrost. And I can't speak as to whether or not they are even aware of that much. My brother hides very well when he wishes. Brother, have you revealed yourself to Heimdall?" Despite my usual attention to detail when it comes to being covert, I had neglected to even think about hiding myself from Heimdall's sight as of late, as the love of another has clouded my brain. "I believe he has seen me, if he has been watching, as I suspect he has. Furthermore, I'm sure he's told father as well, so it's only a matter of time I'm sure before he sends an envoy to retrieve me. That is troubling indeed."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute. What does that mean for you? Is your dad just gonna suddenly appear and take you away just like that? What a jerk! He can't do that! He's not gonna do that, I'm not gonna let him." Darcy's tirade was rather comical, when looked at without the severity of the situation. "Darcy, darling, how exactly are you planning on stopping the man who is perhaps the most powerful entity in the known universe?" She huffed a little, knowing she had no answer, and instead wrapped her arms around me, as if holding me to that spot would solve everything. I smiled and returned the embrace. I've never felt this kind of love from someone before. Thor was close, but this is different. This is sweeter and much simpler in its desires. "Don't worry love; I'm sure we won't have anything to be concerned about. My father is a rational man, stoic and cold perhaps, but rational nonetheless." I could hear Thor shifting uncomfortably; he still harbored an unfathomable loyalty for Odin, regardless of everything that has occurred.

Ignoring Thor's obvious discomfort, I looked back to the Director. "Are we quite done here then Director Fury? I would very much like to vacate this building at some point today." He rolled his eye (that never gets old) in exasperation. "Yes, we're done. Agent Coulson will meet you at the door to get you fitted with your tracker, and then you may leave the premises. Now please get out of my hair." Darcy laughed, "But Nick, you don't have any hair!" He glared at her, which in turn made her laugh harder and had Jane, Thor, and I laughing as well. Leave it to my Darcy to break the tension.

We were met, as promised, by Agent Coulson who silently led us to another portion of the complex. Exactly how far this compound extended, I did not know, but of all the places we had been, it felt like miles. Jane decided to leave us, with a promise from Thor that he would meet her as soon as possible, so that she could attend to other things in the short time of the day that remained. I did not mind her company, (See? Growth.), however, I would prefer to not have my tracker fitting witnessed by someone I hardly knew.

Upon reaching what felt like the entire other side of the SHIELD compound, Agent Coulson allowed us into a room that from the outside was an exact duplicate of Director Fury's office. How anyone managed to find their destination here was beyond me. Every door looked the same and there were more twists and turns than in the Minotaur's labyrinth. I am beginning to suspect that Agent Coulson has a hidden power, aside from being unfailingly (and sometimes unbearably) loyal to Director Fury.

The room was occupied by only one other human, this one wearing a starch white lab coat and bearing rather non-descript features. He informed me that there was nothing expected on my part during this procedure, as the device they had constructed was both a locator and power inhibitor in one. He retrieved the device from the metallic silver box he kept on counter and presented it to me before fitting it snuggly to my wrist. Huh. It was a…bracelet. Seriously…that's it?

"Seriously, that's it?" Darcy is once again inadvertently reading my mind. The man in the white lab coat simply shrugged before explaining the device to us. "It's easy enough to put on, but getting it off is the tricky part. You need the key, which only Director Fury, Agent Coulson, or Ms. Foster will have access to. I have been instructed to give Ms. Foster's key to Thor so that he will in turn, make sure she gets it and that it stays with her. At. All. Times." This lab coat fellow was quite adamant on that point. Apparently he was not quite as trusting as Director Fury was of Ms. Foster's sense of responsibility. Thor seemed to notice this as well.

"Do not worry. My Jane will ensure the safety of this key, as will I," Thor looked directly into the eyes of the other man, who swallowed thickly before handing over the key and then allowing us to leave. I could not feel any adverse side effects to wearing the inhibitor, but then again, I have not tried any of the magic it inhibits. Perhaps a later time.

"Loki, I wish to spend more time with you and Darcy, now that we are all in the same place, but for now, I must see to Jane. I shall have Jane make plans with Darcy for a…what was the name? Oh yes, a "double date." I find the idea most agreeable. Until then, my brother." And with a bone crushing hug and Thor's award winning smile, he was gone, which left Darcy and I some time to finally be alone.

"Soooo, what now? I'm like, the only one around that is allowed to 'babysit' you, so whadya say, let's go home, crash on the couch and watch some movies?" Her flair for total acceptance never ceased to amaze me. The simple idea, going home with Darcy, had never had more appeal to me than it does now. "Yes, let's go home."

**A/N: Totally not the last chapter here, promise. Still more to come! And I will also try to get the next one up soon, unfortunately, I don't have that one quite as well planned out, so it could take a little while. Sorry! But I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. I love seeing all the reviews and alerts and favorites (Oh My!) that this has gotten so far, you guys are amazing! Thank you! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am so sorry! I honestly have no excuses, so I won't waste your time with them. Please enjoy this chapter and leave me a review! **

**Chapter 5**

Getting home, rather than teleporting, involved a certified SHIELD Agent to drive us, which unfortunately cut into our alone time, but it was not for long, and I could begrudge them that much. True to form, once we arrived at Darcy's apartment, we crashed on the couch and watched movies the rest of the evening, ordering takeout half-way through to further aid our lazy day. A day of perfection with the woman who makes me a better man.

The few months following my trial by super spy were quite peaceful to say the least. I spent most of my days with either Darcy, at her boring job, or with Thor, training and conversing about anything and everything. It was Darcy's insistence that I spend at least a couple days a week in the company of my estranged brother so that we may get to know each other all over again. It was, of course, Darcy's little joke that she and Thor 'shared custody' of me. I found myself thoroughly enjoying it, to be perfectly honest. I'd never felt so light and free, despite my tracker/inhibitor bracelet. I barely missed the magic it prevented; I had no reason to use it here anyway. I mostly conjured things to better mine and Darcy's comfort.

My favorite moments, however, are the times of her work days when Darcy runs off to practice her knife throwing. Those are the moments I cherish the most because it's just the two of us and I am allowed to impart my intimate knowledge of all things with a blade on this aspiring fighter. I even spotted an audience once, though he was quite adept at hiding. He stayed high up in the gym, his bow and arrows always at hand, out of sight from anyone without my superior vision and instincts. It seems that he is either quite curious of Darcy's progress or he is my Fury appointed guard. It's also possible that it could be both. These government agents are sometimes quite difficult to read.

Darcy, my brilliant protégé, was improving with every session. She took specific direction well and had the instincts of one who had grown up around these kinds of weapons. Though we did get into a little trouble every now and then for taking too long, but sometimes kissing her is just too irresistible. There were no real consequences, but we both received a look of utmost exasperation from Jane. That woman is not to be trifled with, I've learned.

My association with the SHIELD agency has allowed me to make the acquaintance of many of their more…famous operatives. Most importantly, the one and only Tony Stark. He is an intriguing man. One of the few here in this realm that I've come to admire. He never does what one would expect of him, unless of course appearances require it. What's even better is that through my friendship with Mr. Stark, he and Darcy have formed a most interesting bond. They both love and hate one another. I've never found more amusement in a situation than when they argue over something petty and impertinent. For example, while we were sitting in a briefing following a mission performed by the wonder squad, (Darcy was required to attend for her job and I was required because Darcy was required), Tony and Darcy began to argue over which _Star Wars_ trilogy was better. Darcy preferred the old trilogy because they were classic and in her words 'you just can't screw with a classic!' Stark, on the other hand, admired the new trilogy for its visual effects. I'm actually surprised at how long Fury let it continue, but perhaps he was just as enthralled in the argument as the rest of us were. I even took to summoning snacks for some of their more theatrical tiffs.

My life finally felt complete: I have a perfect girlfriend, an amicable relationship with my brother and a decent life established here on Midgard. All was well in my world for a change; which is usually about the point when things get turned upside down. Jane and Thor, and by extension Darcy and myself, were called into SHIELD one Saturday afternoon because their system detected some disturbances in between the bifrost site and the town. The question was who was causing this disturbance? It wasn't in the exact spot of the bifrost site, so it wasn't anyone of Asgard. Just as soon as the atmospheric fluctuations began, they ended, with no apparent effects. To quell any worries from Director Fury, Coulson sent the four of us out to the site, only a few miles from the town and the SHIELD compound. We of course, found nothing. But, deciding to turn a dreadful situation into a more appealing one, Darcy packed us all a little picnic to enjoy once our work was done. We spent the majority of the afternoon talking and playing games that Darcy and Jane had once enjoyed as children, truth or dare being Darcy's favorite. Altogether, the day was not totally lost.

The pleasant day I was having with Darcy, Thor and the Jane woman rapidly plummeted downhill when I saw the whirlwind storm clouds that signaled an other-worldly entrance to earth. My mental senses picked up on a distinct malevolence emanating from the invaders. And a very cold sort of malevolence it was. "Frost Giants." Thor looked at me in shock for a few moments before regaining his composure long enough to register the seriousness on my face.

The one who seemed to be leading them, there seemed to be perhaps 20 or 30 of them, stepped closer towards us, presumably to explain their rather abrupt invasion. Thor and I almost simultaneously placed ourselves in front of Darcy and Jane to attempt to shield them from any sort of unpredictable backlash. It was at that moment that Jane started fumbling with her cell phone, as it had just rang. "Yes Director, we are quite aware of the situation. Because! We're looking right at them! Send someone…please! Well, how close is he? Tell him to hurry! I don't think we really have that much time." Jane took a moment to calm herself before whispering hurriedly to the rest of us. "Stark is in Malibu, he should be here soon, Fury's already called him. Can you guys keep things calm until then?" Truth be told, I wasn't sure what we could do. I didn't yet know the reason for the visit of these most unwelcome guests. But I was about to find out. Without warning, I stepped forward, leaving Thor to cover the women behind me. I wondered randomly if Darcy had thought to bring her knives along.

"Hello. To what can we owe the pleasure of this rather unexpected gathering?" The leader narrowed his eyes at me, no doubt remembering who I was. That's not good. "We are here to conquer this world, just as our ancestors tried to do, before the Allfather got in their way. Using the paths that you so graciously showed to us, we have brought our greatest warriors to take over this pathetic realm. And you will not stop us, great deceiver." Perfect. Odin wasn't here to exercise his power and Thor and I are perhaps the only ones capable of staving off a horrific massacre. But Darcy…she and Jane must be clear of this first. "Just one moment please, General, then we can commence with the fighting." I turned quickly, beckoning to Thor. "Can you hold them off while I get Jane and Darcy out of here?" Thor didn't answer; he simply held his arm aloft and summoned mjolnir, making the transformation to the Almighty Thor. "Go brother. And make it quick." Thor walked away, facing the Frost Giants with all the determination of a seasoned warrior.

"Jane, please tell me you have the key with you. I need to get the two of you out of here and to do that requires my teleporting abilities." Jane nodded and pulled a necklace out of her shirt, the key hanging at the end of it, and she calmly handed it over without hesitation. I unlocked the bracelet and gave it to Darcy for safe keeping. Without a word, I took them both by the arm and teleported back to town. "I need you two to get everyone out. This battle will likely spill over here and it's best that we prevent casualties while we can. The second that the last person leaves, you two must go. Promise me." I looked to Darcy and then to Jane. Jane is the rational one; she will make sure Darcy leaves. "Please Jane…promise me." My voice broke on those last words. She nodded and pulled Darcy with her, going to the nearest building to start clearing people out. Darcy looked back at me, for the first time with fear in her eyes.

I paused long enough to watch them disappear into the building and then I shimmered out of the town and into the fray of battle. Thor had already taken down several Frost Giants, but there were many more still standing. I jumped in, with all the fervor and determination of a man desperately trying to protect someone he loved…in this case, two someones. I would not lose what I had built with my brother…and I would not lose Darcy, my salvation.

Thor was starting to wear out with the effort of fighting so many, so I decided to even the odds a little with a few magic imbued daggers, made to paralyze any that were struck by them. I threw all five of my supply, hitting the mark each time. Five down, quite a few to go. I looked to Thor and he raised his hammer, calling forth the lightening that he held power over. He destroyed many of the giants that surrounded him, putting quite a dent in their force. But it still wasn't enough. As we were being overwhelmed once again, I could hear something approaching in the distance. It's Stark! I have never been happier to see that man.

"Hey there, you gods need some help?" Always the cocky one. "Shut up and get to it Stark!" I had no time for his shenanigans today. "Whew! Touch-y! By the way, I contacted some SHIELD guys that are a couple towns over cleaning something up. They should be here soon. Let's hope we can get this taken care of before then, huh?" With that, he took off, flying low to the ground, just out of reach of the tallest giants, and began firing at them. Well, that definitely evened the odds. Suddenly, I heard Thor call out to me, "Loki, look out!" I turned just in time to feel a sharp stab through my left arm; at least I missed any serious injury. Unfortunately, Thor wasn't so lucky. My injury distracted him and he didn't see the iced over Frost Giant fist smash into his head. He dropped mjolnir and landed hard on the ground, unconscious. I rushed over to him but there was nothing I could do. My body was using my magical reserves to heal my own wound and I couldn't transfer the power to him.

I heard an explosion and looked up to see Stark flying dangerously close to the town with 5 or 6 Frost Giants on his tail. They were heading straight through it, very near to where I'd last seen Darcy and Jane. _No!_ I attempted to teleport to the town but my reserves are too depleted and they haven't had time to build back up. Running it is then. As I started towards the town, I realized that I didn't have a weapon to use. I could see mjolnir lying in the dust just in front of me and I ran towards it. Not even pausing to think it through, I grabbed the handle and hefted it up. It became surprisingly light in my hand. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The second I was close enough, I got the attention of the Frost Giants running amok in the streets. "Your fight is with me. I am alone here, so take me if you can." They turned from chasing after Stark and, in a group, sprinted towards me. I slammed mjolnir into the ground, much as I had seen Thor do in previous battles, and opened up a fissure in the ground. All of them fell into it. I dropped the hammer, its weight already returning, and closed the fissure with my magic. It felt like mjolnir had returned it to me ten-fold.

There were still many people outside, Darcy and Jane hadn't had time to get them all out, but most appeared unscathed. The chaos was unimaginable. Anarchy ruled through the streets of the city. People were screaming, fires were burning, and everyone was running, searching for some semblance of a safe haven in what is now a valley of destruction. But despite all these things, the only thought racing through my mind was 'Where is she…where's Darcy?'

The help that Stark promised had finally arrived, already beginning to clear up the mess. There were no Frost Giants left, save for those I paralyzed earlier. I started searching the buildings for Darcy and Jane, starting for the remains of the one I had last seen them in. There was so much rubble. Stark had brought the fighting entirely too far. He would hear from me later. Just as I was leaving, I heard a quiet voice call my name. But it was much too chaotic in the streets to have been from anywhere outside my head. I concentrated and listened harder. I heard it again, this time much clearer, echoing in my head. It was Darcy. I followed the signature of her voice, using it as a beacon. I came across the old building that Darcy and Jane used to work in. Just outside of it, I saw a Frost Giant, sprawled on the ground with several of Darcy's knives embedded in his flesh. He was dead. He must have gone after them. But where were they? I heard Darcy's voice again, this time with my own two ears. They were in the building.

I cleared some of the rubble away and made my way inside, calling her name. I heard her answer coming from behind the wall in the kitchen. There was no time to look for a secret entrance so I made my own. I listened carefully to see where they were in the room beyond and broke my way through. There they were, safe and sound…for the most part. Jane leaped up with one of Darcy's knives in her hand and threw herself in front of Darcy, who was seated against the opposite wall, her legs stretched in front of her. Jane, seeing it was me, dropped the knife and relaxed. "Loki! Thank goodness it's you! Is it over?" I nodded. I only had eyes for Darcy, who didn't look quite as energetic as she usually did. "Darcy, love, are you alright?" She nodded tiredly, but didn't say anything. I looked to Jane, worry etched into every line of my face.

"She fought that giant out there. Darcy was running ahead of me, I was too slow, he came out of nowhere and grabbed me. All of a sudden, he had this knife sticking out of his arm and he dropped me. I ran as fast as I could to Darcy and she pushed me inside. I saw her standing there, with this belt of knives slung over her shoulder and she just started firing them at him. She had him down and started walking away when he got up, picked her up, and slammed her into the brick building next door. She stabbed his hand and he loosened his grip just long enough for her to scramble out and up his arm. She stabbed him in the throat and fell off him and landed wrong on her leg. She may have broken something and she might have a concussion or something." She walked to one side of Darcy and sat next to her, laying her head on her shoulder and hugging her tightly.

My Darcy. She is so strong. I strode over to her other side and brushed the hair from her face. She looked pale. "Darcy, I'm going to pick you up and take you out of here so I can get a better look at you. If anything hurts you too badly, please tell me and I'll fix it immediately. Do you understand?" She nodded again. "Please dear, say something. Your silence is not something I'm accustomed to." She laughed. "I understand. But I'm really not too bad right now. I think the adrenaline rush is keeping most of the pain at bay." I nodded this time and picked her up as gingerly as possible. She hissed in pain, but didn't cry out; I took that as a good sign. I followed Jane out of the building and down the street a bit where we came across Agent Coulson already setting up to take care of injuries. Thor was sitting on a cot, mjolnir by his side. The minute he saw us walk up, he jumped up, a little unsteadily, and rushed toward us.

"Loki! What has happened, is everyone alright?" I gently laid Darcy down on his vacated cot and then addressed him. "Jane is fine, save perhaps a few scrapes and bruises. I am well enough. Mjolnir returned my abilities to me and then some, so I've healed quite quickly. But Darcy needs to be tended to. I shall answer all of your questions, but let me first take care of her." Thor agreed and moved to the side to converse with Jane while I attended to Darcy. "Loki, it's really not that bad. You can just let the SHIELD guys take care of me." I quieted her with a look and then spread my hands, one at her head, and the other over her legs. It took only moments of concentration before I ascertained the extent to which she was injured. She gave me quite the pathetic look when I opened my eyes and sighed. "How bad is it?" I put my hand to her forehead to begin healing. "You have a moderate concussion, several cracked ribs, though none splintered, a cracked vertebra, and a broken ankle. When you do something Darcy, you do it well." She grinned sheepishly before it turned into a grimace. "Ow, what are you doing?" I sighed again. "I'm healing you dear; that comes with a not inconsiderable amount of pain. Now hush, so I can concentrate." She huffed but spoke no more.

I healed her more serious injuries first, just in case my magic depleted before I was finished. Luckily, everything held out and I was able to heal her completely and still have some magic in reserve. I finished and we both wilted somewhat in exhaustion. "You will need to rest for the next couple of days to rebuild your strength. Healing magic works with your body and forces the injuries back together, but in the process, it also wears them out." She nodded and then closed her eyes, content to lay there for the time being. "Agent Coulson, I trust that you will watch over her for a few minutes while I speak to my brother and Mr. Stark." It was not a request. "Of course. I'll let you know if she needs you."

I joined Thor and Jane just as she finished telling him what Darcy had done to protect them both. "Brother, it seems you have chosen well. Lady Darcy is quite the fearsome adversary." I clapped my hand on Thor's shoulder, eager to feel him solid beneath it. He was fine. He was unharmed. "That she is Thor, but the question is, why her actions were necessary in the first place. Where's Stark?" He looked puzzled. "He is helping with the clean up, he should return shortly. Brother, I have a question. You said that mjolnir restored your abilities. How is that possible?" I paused to think before speaking. "I picked it up and used it to create a fissure in the earth, destroying the rest of the Frost Giants."

"Y-you picked up my hammer? How?"

"I do not know brother. That is something you will have inquire of father. I can assure you that I no longer possess the ability to lift it. The second after I used it, it grew heavy again." Thor grew quiet, contemplating what this could mean. Our silence was broken by Ironman, arriving in all his armored glory; he landed nearby and walked to where we were standing, lifting his faceplate. "Hey, everybody okay?" I stormed over to him and lifted him by the neck, his armor of no use to him as my magic was cancelling out any signals made to his computer. "What were you thinking! You brought this fight into the town, you endangered everyone here and you endangered Darcy!" A small hand on my arm made me pause. I looked down to see Jane, her eyes imploring. "It's not his fault. He saw the one that chased after Darcy and I and he was coming to help. He veered the other direction when he saw the others following after him. It was an accident. That Frost Giant was after us before Tony came through."

I lowered Tony back to the ground. "Sorry my friend, I was bit distraught." Jane, satisfied with her work, walked back to Thor, who enveloped her in his large embrace. "I see Jane's okay, where's Darcy? Was she hurt?" I looked in his eyes and saw only genuine concern; he had no intensions of being reckless, I know that now. "She was injured but I took care of it. You should ask Jane about how Darcy saved them both from the Frost Giant that chased them. It's quite the thrilling tale." He laughed before throwing his arm over my shoulder. "I'll definitely have to do that. A beautiful chick plays the hero? I'd see that movie." Stark always did know how to make me laugh.

Stark and I returned to Coulson and Darcy just as she was starting to sit up. "Miss Lewis, I must insist that you remain here, for your safety as well as mine."

"Relax Coulson, Loki won't fry you, you did your job," Stark said as he walked over and nudged him with his armored elbow. Coulson rubbed the spot and leveled a stare at him before walking away. "Darcy, you really shouldn't be going anywhere." I said gently as I laid my hand on her shoulder. "I just want to go home and sleep. This cot sucks and my bed is much comfier." She was so comical when she whined. "Alright. I don't believe we're needed here any longer so let's go home. Agent Coulson, Darcy and I will be taking our leave. I trust that should you need anything from me, you will contact me sometime tomorrow." He acquiesced with a wave of his hand and turned back to his underlings. "Darcy, put your arms around my neck and hold on." I teleported us to her room where I laid her down and took off her shoes. Just as I pulled the blankets up, she grabbed hold of my hand. "Stay with me? I like falling asleep with you." I removed my outer layers of armor and climbed into bed beside her, she turned on her side to snuggle up to my chest as I drew my arms around her. "Get some rest dear, you've earned it." I could hear her smile as she replied, "So did you."

Both Darcy and I, beyond exhausted from the day's events, slept like the dead. I was awoken the next afternoon by the shrill ring of Darcy's phone. To spare the necessity of waking up, I retrieved her phone and walked to the next room to answer it. "Darcy's phone."

"Loki, just the man I was searching for."

"Ah, Director Fury. How pleasant to hear your voice first thing in the morning." A wry chuckle echoed from the other end of the line. "It's one in the afternoon, sounds like you and your lady had quite the lie-in. I need you both to come in for a debriefing, it won't take long. It doesn't have to be now, but it does have to be today. Oh, and I noticed your tracker has been shut off. Miss Foster informed me that she removed it so you could get them to safety. That's fine, just make sure you bring it in with you." I rubbed my hand tiredly across my face. "As you wish, Director. We will be there today, you have my word. Is that all?" The line cut off. I guess that was all.

I returned to Darcy's room to find her already awake and sitting up. "Hey, I wondered where you went. Who was that?" She asked gesturing to the phone in my hand. "Fury. He wants us to come in today for a debriefing. Are you feeling up to that?" She shrugged. "I guess. I haven't actually tried getting up yet. I was a little nervous." With that, she removed the blankets and swung her legs out, bracing herself to stand. She got to her feet a little unsteadily and made a few tentative steps. "Well, how are you?" She smiled more brightly than the winter sun. "I'm great! A little wobbly, but great! You wanna go talk to Fury now?" I laughed at her enthusiasm and took her in my arms. "How about, I fix you some pancakes and then we go talk to Fury?" She smiled again and leaned in for a kiss. "Sounds good. I want chocolate chips." She kissed me again and then slowly made her way to the bathroom to start getting ready.

Our arrival at the SHIELD compound became water cooler talk for the rest of the day as I teleported us directly there amidst the busiest office they had. I can still have a little fun, right? We walked the rest of the way to Fury's office, thoroughly enjoying the feel of each other's hands as we strolled along. Agent Coulson was waiting on us when we arrived. He silently let us in and then stepped back to allow us to pass.

"Hello you two. Quite the eventful day you had yesterday. Care to fill me in?" Fury is so efficient, always intent on getting directly to the point. Darcy and I both talked until she became hoarse and I started developing a headache. Fury was relentless in his questions. Let it never be said that the man isn't thorough. "Well, you've given me a lot to think over. Just one more thing before you leave. Because of your outstanding efforts in this situation, Loki, I've decided to rescind your punishment and grant you clemency. Additionally, I'd like to reiterate the offer for joining SHIELD, with a slight amendment. You are welcome to join as a contracted-in agent. Meaning you can take whatever missions you want, so long as you don't screw them up. You are free to remain here on Earth and you have the protection of SHIELD and myself. I have the power to do this because they gave it to me, and because some very important people owe me a couple favors. Don't make me regret it."

I was speechless. It was far more than I could have ever hoped for. And it was definitely something that I could manage. "We have an agreement then, Director. You have me for as long as you need me. Besides, someone needs to be around to keep Stark in line." He laughed and stood to shake my hand. "We all know that's the real reason I want you to stay. Did you bring your tracker? The white coats around here like to keep a close watch on their toys." I handed it over to him and couldn't help smiling as I realized I had my freedom.

Darcy and I walked through the compound after leaving Fury's office. "I can't believe Fury offered you a job! That's awesome! Now we can work together and maybe even get Coulson all frazzled." Her enthusiasm was catching. "I would love nothing more."

**A/N: This is the last chapter, but I do have an epilogue in the works which should be up fairly soon. Thanks for reading!**


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